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Welcome
to LymphomaLinks,
your monthly source of lymphoma news, research
updates, clinical trials and events sponsored by
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). For
even more information, regularly visit
LLS's Patient
Services and Disease
Information Web
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LLS
Features
::READ MORE::
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Research
Roundup
::READ MORE::
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IRC Question of
the Month
:: READ
MORE::
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Inspirational
Stories
 Learn how individuals touched
by blood cancer cope. LLS's LifeMosaic Web feature offers
hundreds of inspiring stories by patients and families. Read
them or submit your own. This month, meet
Cheryl. |
Here to
Help
For
even more information, regularly visit the LLS
Web site,
www.LLS.org
,
where many of our education programs are
archived free of charge for convenient access
24/7.
If you haven't found what you're
looking for in LymphomaLinks , please
call our Information Resource Center (IRC) to
speak with trained information specialists. IRC
staff are available Monday through Friday, 9
a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, toll free at (800) 955-4572;
email
infocenter@lls.org
;
or click the "Live Patient Help" button on the
www.LLS.org homepage.
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Commentary
Learn
about new techniques for stem cell transplants.
Clinical
Trials
We
invite you to use
our LLS-supported TrialCheck®
Web site, a clinical trial search service
that offers patients and caregivers immediate
access to listings of
all lymphoma clinical trials. Answer
just a few simple questions and a list of
available clinical trials related to your cancer
will appear in an easy to read list of search
results.
You may also want to visit the
National Cancer Institute's Cancer
Trials Support Unit, providing resources and
information on phase III cancer treatment trials
supported by the National Cancer
Institute
. ::SELECTED TRIALS::
Newsfeeds &
Podcasts
Now you can get
RSS Feeds and Podcasts from LLS.
::CLICK HERE TO SIGN
UP::
Free
eNewsletters
Free LLS
eNewsletters deliver the latest information on
research and treatment options, patient services
programs and fundraising events.
:: CLICK HERE TO SIGN
UP::
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Durable complete
responses from therapy with combined epratuzumab
and rituximab: final results from an
international multicenter, Phase II study
in recurrent, indolent, non-Hodgkin
lymphoma ::READ MORE::
Phase III Trial of
Consolidation Therapy with
Yttrium-90-Ibritumomab Tiuxetan Compared with No
Additional Therapy after First Remission in
Advanced Follicular Lymphoma ::READ MORE::
Haematopoietic SCT for
children and adolescents with relapsed and
refractory Hodgkin lymphoma ::READ MORE::
Prognostic impact of
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma subgroups in
patients undergoing autologous SCT ::READ MORE::
A multicenter Phase II
clinical experience with the novel
aza-epothilone Ixabepilone (BMS247550) in
patients with relapsed or refractory indolent
non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mantle cell
lymphoma ::READ MORE::
Therapy insight:
management of cardiovascular disease in patients
with cancer and cardiac complications of cancer
therapy ::READ MORE::
Lenalidomide and
rituximab in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
::READ MORE::
>Back to the
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Selected
Trials
Phase III: Chemotherapy with or
without Additional Chemotherapy and/or Radiation
Therapy in Treating Children with Newly
Diagnosed Hodgkin Lymphoma ::READ MORE::
Phase II: Combination Therapy
Using Lenalidomide (Revlimid®), Low
Dose Dexamethasone and Rituximab for Treatment
of Rituximab-Resistant, Non-Aggressive B-Cell
Lymphomas ::READ MORE::
Phase II: LMB-2 Immunotoxin,
Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide in Treating
Patients with T-Cell Leukemia ::READ MORE::
Phase I Study of Pralatrexate in
Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Cutaneous
T-Cell Lymphoma ::READ MORE::
Phase III: Rituximab and
Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients
with Diffuse Large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma ::READ MORE::
> Back to the
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| IRC
Question of
the Month | 
Q: My health
plan does not cover some of the drugs and tests
my physician ordered to treat my lymphoma. What
can I do?
A: If your
health plan denies a claim for treatment that
your physician thinks is medically necessary
there are a number of things you can do.
- Submit claims for all medical
expenses even if you are not sure they are
covered. Submit your bills as you receive them.
- Contact your health plan and
request a copy of your plan's coverage and
appeal process in writing. When you make the
call, get the name of the person you speak to
and take the opportunity to establish an ongoing
contact with a case manager with whom you can
discuss any future issues that may
arise.
- Start and maintain a file of
all claims, claims-related documents and
letters. In your file, keep a log of all calls
related to your health claims reimbursement.
Include the name of the person you spoke to and
the dates of all telephone calls you make or
receive.
- If you have submitted a claim
that was denied, re-submit the claim with a copy
of your denial letter. Ask your physician to
write a statement explaining the treatment or
services, the reason this treatment is medically
necessary for you and how you will benefit. Your
physician can also submit relevant peer-reviewed
medical journal articles to document that the
treatment is effective and necessary for your
care.
These steps may resolve the
claim. If not, you can submit the claim again
and request a peer review. This provides the
opportunity for your physician to discuss the
treatment in detail with other physicians in the
medical specialty. In
the meantime, get help from your physician's
office, your clinic or hospital to arrange to
delay payment until your claim is resolved.
You can request help from the
consumer services division of your state
insurance department or commission and/or
consider legal action if the claim is still not
resolved.
Here are more resources to help
you:
- LLS encourages you to
contact our Information Resource Center at (800)
955-4572 or email
us with any additional
questions.
- LLS also provides supplementary
financial assistance to patients in financial
need. We offer $500 per year toward
treatment-related expenses not covered by
insurance (including tests, blood transfusions,
chemotherapy, drugs, radiation therapy) and
transportation to and from treatment. For more
information about the Patient Financial
Aid Program, click
here.
- Listen to the audio
program Practical
Tips for Managing Your Financial & Insurance
Issues.
- Order the free booklet Financial
Health Matters and click
here for a printable guide of
questions to ask about denial of
coverage.
- The Medicare
Rights Center can help people to
navigate the Medicare system. Counselors at
(800) 333-4114 answer questions about insurance
options, Medicare rights and protections,
payment denials, appeals, complaints about care
or treatment and Medicare bills.
- The Patient
Advocate Foundation (PAF) provides free
services to help with Medicaid, disability,
managed care, health insurance, medical debt and
employment discrimination issues. PAF offers
free legal assistance, in accordance with their
guidelines, to help people obtain benefits from
their insurance companies. You can contact PAF
at (800) 532-5274.
- Finally, the Cancer
Legal Resource Center provides free
information and resources about cancer-related
legal issues. The Center has a free telephone
assistance line at (866)
843-2572.
As
always the IRC is here to help. To speak
with an IRC specialist, Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, please
call (800) 955-4572, or visit www.LLS.org.
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Supported by an
unrestricted
educational grant
from
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Contact Us: The
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck
Ave., White Plains, NY 10605, (800)
955-4572
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